Revenge
by Jenn11
Summary: Revenge is a confession of pain. Chap 2) Seth hurt Dean with lies. Dean gets revenge by hurting Seth with the truth. Chap 4) Are we done here? Or are we DONE?
1. Chapter 1

_**Revenge is a confession of pain. ~ latin proverb**_

The emotion Dean showed in public was anger. Few would see any other emotion at all. But Seth wasn't lying when he said he knew Dean better than anyone – even Roman. He saw the pain. Pain Dean hid beneath the anger. The anger was real. No doubt about that. And Seth was well aware that he deserved Dean and Roman's anger. But the pain was just as real, if better hidden.

Dean wanted revenge, and was determined to get it. And you only sought revenge for something that hurt you. The level of revenge Dean wanted showed just how hurt Dean was. Physical pain had never really bothered Dean – not like it did most people. But emotional pain, especially betrayal… Dean was oh so vulnerable to that. Not that he'd ever admit to or let it show.

And yet… Seth saw something else buried even deeper in Dean's eyes. Not always. Just a glimpse every so often, when Dean slipped. Dean had promised to haunt Seth. It was that lost look that he occasionally saw in Dean's eyes that haunted Seth more than anything.

Dean wanted back what they'd had. If Seth took down The Authority and went back to his brothers, saying it was all some plan, and he couldn't tell them because their reactions had to be real… Dean would take him back. Despite the pain and anger, Dean would take him back. Dean wanted back what they had once been that badly.

But things had gone too far. They could never go back. No matter how much Dean wanted it. No matter how much Seth himself wanted it.

And that was the most bitter pill of all. Seth did want that. At least, a part of him did. He missed his brothers. He missed Roman's protectiveness and strength. His sense of humor. He missed Dean's unique way of thinking and crazy antics. It was never boring with Dean around. He missed training together, planning together, fighting together. He missed knowing his brothers would be there to catch him when he pulled a dangerous move.

With a sigh, Seth pulled out his phone and dialed the familiar number.

"If it isn't my former business partner," Dean answered.

Not knowing how much time Dean would give him, Seth got right to the point. "Dean… I know how much what we had meant to you. How much having brothers, and not being alone anymore, meant to you. I know how hard it was for you to trust us, but you did anyway."

"Which just makes what you did even worse," Dean noted.

"I know that too. But, Dean… It's gone, and there's no getting it back. Part of me wants to tell you this is some plan to take The Authority down from the inside, but it's not… If that's what you've been hoping and holding on to… You need to let go of what we had and move on with your own career. I have. Roman has… You need to."

"You just want me to stop ruining your attempts to cash in that contract," Dean accused.

"That would be a nice bonus, but not what this call is about. Look… I'll talk Hunter into giving us a one on one match at Battleground. Just you and me. No interference. I… I owe you that much."

"You owe me, and Roman, a hell of a lot more than that…. But it's a start. And I am going to keep ruining any attempt you make to cash in that contract."

"I know. Dean… Please don't self destruct. Don't let what I did be the reason you self destruct. You're stronger than that. You're going to have a great singles career. Focus on that. Enjoy that. Forget what we had. You have to accept that we can never, ever go back. No matter how much we want to."

"We?"

"We. But that doesn't matter. That doesn't change what happened – what I did. Everything we had, everything we did, was built on trust. I destroyed that trust. And without that trust as a foundation, The Shield can't be rebuilt."

"I know. I just…" Dean's voice trailed off, not finishing what he was going to say. Seth no longer deserved to hear the things he'd say only to a brother. Some part of him had hoped this was Seth's plan to take down the Authority, and then The Shield could reunite. But Seth was right. Trust had been The Shield's foundation, and it was gone.

"Dean, I'm sorry. I know that doesn't make it right, and doesn't fix anything…. But I am sorry I hurt you. You probably don't believe that right now, but I hope one day you will."

"Then why did you do it? And for once don't give me some bull shit, for-the-cameras, answer. Tell me why."

"Because I thought what I'd gain would be worth more than what I'd lose."

"And here you keep going around saying you're the smart one…" The disgust was clear in Dean's voice. But the tone softened as he said, "Goodbye, Seth."

"Goodbye, Brother," Seth said into the dial tone. Dean had already hung up.

_**Sometimes I hear you calling**_

_**From some lost and distant shore**_

_**I hear you crying softly for the way it was before**_

'_**Hymn for the Missing' by RED**_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to KuraGonzalez for the 'I love you, brother.' quote from SummerSlam. I hadn't caught that line. I highly recommend her stories. This takes place the Monday morning after SummerSlam, before RAW. When I started this Monday morning, this was NOT how I thought it would go, but I had to do some major re-write after what we saw on RAW. What I'd written just didn't fit at all after that.

"_**I love you, brother."**_

Those words wouldn't leave Seth's mind, repeating over and over on a seemingly endless loop. And that kiss to the top of his head, right before the brutal curb stomp. The words and kiss were a mockery, and a reminder, of the times Dean had given him a gentle kiss on the head and reassured him of his brother's love when Seth had been injured, or just in need of reassurance. A reminder of what he had lost. No, not lost. Thrown away. Thrown away without truly realizing its value.

Not that he hadn't brought it on himself. He doubted Dean would have gone that far if it hadn't been for his own comments on SmackDown. Dean had been amused at the insults Seth was hurling, and it had infuriated Seth. So he'd resorted to the one thing he'd known would affect Dean. The thing he knew Dean wouldn't be able to smirk or smile at. That he'd never given a damn about Dean. He'd said that Dean had never been his friend or his brother. Dean had been affected. Been hurt. And 48 hours later Dean had gotten his revenge. Seth had hurt Dean with lies. Dean had hurt Seth with the truth. What better revenge could Dean have?

Dean had used the present tense, not the past tense, and he'd meant it. Dean still loved his brother, even with all Seth had done. But the brutal curb stomp right after had been just as honest. Dean was letting him know that even if he still loved Seth, he was going to keep hurting Seth until he inflicted as much pain on Seth as Seth had inflicted on him. The thought was horrifying, considering Dean's insanely high pain threshold. The pain was tearing Dean apart… What would it do to Seth?

He'd asked Dean not to self-destruct, and Dean wasn't going to. Dean was going to destroy him instead. Unless he destroyed Dean first…

_**Yet each man kills the thing he loves  
by each let this be heard,  
some do it with a bitter look,  
some with a flattering word,  
the coward does it with a kiss,  
the brave man with a sword!**_

_**Some kill their love when they are young,  
and some when they are old;  
some strangle with the hands of lust,  
some with the hands of gold:  
the kindest use a knife, because  
the dead so soon grow cold.**_

_**Some love too little, some too long,  
some sell, and others buy;  
some do the deed with many tears,  
and some without a sigh:  
for each man kills the thing he loves,**_

_**Yet each man does not die.**_

_**~Oscar Wilde**_


	3. Chapter 3

"_**In its purest form, an act of retribution provides symmetry. The rendering payment of crimes against the innocent. But a danger on retaliation lies on the furthering cycle of violence. Still, it's a risk that must be met; and the greater offense is to allow the guilty go unpunished." ― Emily Thorne, 'Revenge'**_

Seth sat staring at his iPad, rereading the Tweet Dean had sent. The company had made Dean set up a Twitter account, but Dean had never used it. Until now. The only Tweet Dean had ever sent out, and it was aimed at Seth.

DeanAmbroseWWE: I'll see you in Hell, my brother. SethRollinsWWE #HIAC

Hell in a Cell. That's was Dean was going for. No doubt he'd use the time until then to prepare. To get ready. And while he was away from the WWE Dean could spend every minute training and preparing for this one match. Seth didn't have that option. There was traveling, media appearances, his matches with other superstars… Dealing with Roman.

HIAC matches fit Dean's fighting style much better than Seth's. They'd talked about it during their time as The Shield. Which was why Dean had chosen this as their final battle. Everything in him told Seth that all this would end, one way or another, at Hell in a Cell.

But at least that meant he had until October before Dean returned.

_**Night of Champions**_

Seth noticed the look in Roman's eyes as he got into the ring for his Handicap Match against Seth and Kane.

"Something's up," Seth whispered to Kane.

Moments later the Ref was about to signal the start of the match, when Dean's music hit. "FUCK!" Seth swore as Dean made his way down the ramp, 'psychopath smirk' on his lips. Roman jumped off the apron, and the two shared a quick hug. The smirk turned into a warm smile.

"How about we make this a Tag Team Match?" Dean asked the crowd. They roared in approval.

Seth grabbed a mic. "Hell in a Cell! You said you were coming back at Hell in a Cell!"

Dean turned to Seth, all warmth gone from his expression and eyes. "I said I'd see you at Hell in a Cell, and I will. Never said you wouldn't see me before then…"

'King of Kings' hit and Hunter appeared.

"TAG TEAM! TAG TEAM! TAG TEAM! TAG TEAM! TAG TEAM!" The audience chanted/demanded.

Hunter raised a hand, and things quieted. "I've been accused of not listening to the fans. Well, right now I'm going to prove that wrong. The fans want a Tag Team Match, and we're going to have a Tag Team Match. Now! Start the Match, Ref!"

Roman and Dean were back up on the apron as the bell rang. Roman and Kane started the match. Roman soon had Kane in their corner, then tagged in Dean. Moments later Dean tagged in Roman, with Kane never having gotten anywhere near Seth.

"This is vintage Shield – keeping an opponent in their corner, unable to tag out," noted Cole.

Dean hit a brutal clothesline on Kane, then backed off, allowing Kane to tag in Seth.

Dean greeted his brother with a drop kick. Seth tried to get out of the ring, but stopped when he saw Roman waiting for him. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Roman by himself seems to be doing a better job of keeping Rollins in the ring than 20 Lumberjacks at SummerSlam managed," noted Jerry.

Seth never again got a chance to tag out. A few times Kane tried to interfere. But if Dean was the legal man, Roman stopped him. If Roman was fighting Seth, Dean stopped him.

"Seth Rollins is paying for all his sins tonight," Jerry said. "Against both his former brothers."

"And there are a few times it's been obvious Dean or Roman could have gotten the Three-Count and ended the match ,but didn't. To paraphrase what Cena said about his match with Lesner later tonight: They aren't here to beat Seth, they're here to beat Seth's ass," Cole added.

"They don't care about winning, they care about punishing Seth for betraying them, and the vicious Curb Stomp into cinder blocks that put Ambrose out of action for over a month," Jerry agreed. "It's not about winning. It's about revenge."

Eventually the Ref declared Seth unable to continue, and stopped the match.

Dean and Roman celebrated in the ring as Kane and the officials took Seth backstage.

A/N: One more chapter, for Hell in a Cell. Maybe two. If there is a chapter after HIAC, when Dean feels he has gotten his revenge, would you like to see them starting to build a new friendship? Or just moving on. Not actively feuding, but not even trying at being friends again? "just somebody that I used to know". Or maybe a chapter for each possibility, and then readers could decide which they wanted to read?


	4. Chapter 4

"_**Are we done here? Or are we DONE?" ~ Seth Rollins**_

HELL IN A CELL

Waiting to go out for his match against Seth, Dean's emotions were a mess. But then, they had been since June 2nd. Seth had asked him not to self-destruct. The only way he'd known to do that was to let out the pain that had been tearing him apart for months. To take that pain out on Seth. To make Seth hurt as much as he did. Seth deserved that. Seth needed to pay for what he'd done. And yet… Dean hated hurting his brother. Hated that he still thought of Seth as a brother. Still loved Seth as a brother.

It had been easier at Night of Champions. Roman had been there. His presence a constant reminder that Seth had done much worse than hurting and betraying Dean. He'd hurt and betrayed Roman. But now Roman was content. Felt he'd gotten his revenge. Now it was just Dean and Seth.

LATER

As the brutal match ended, Dean's hand was raised in victory. Words from months ago echoed in his mind.

"_Are we done here? Or are we DONE?"_

Looking at Seth, he honestly didn't know the answer this time.

LATER

Seth lay in bed, thinking. He'd been right when he'd told Dean that The Shield couldn't be rebuilt. But they called him The Architect. Just because what he'd destroyed couldn't be fixed… didn't mean he couldn't build something new. Isn't that what architects did? They couldn't rebuild The Shield, but he and his brothers could build new relationships…

MONDAY NIGHT RAW after HIAC

Considering that he'd gotten almost no sleep, Seth felt strangely energized as he walked down to the ring. He'd asked Hunter for permission to start RAW. Hunter had agreed, not knowing what he had in mind. Part of him had wanted to do this quietly, backstage. But his betrayal had been public, so his penance would also have to be public.

"For the last few months I've been talking about how I built The Shield, so I had the right to destroy it. That was a lie. _**WE**_ built The Shield. The three of us. Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns. We built it. I destroyed it. A couple months ago Dean asked me why. He's the only one I've given an honest answer to. I told him that I'd thought what I'd gain would be worth more than what I'd lose." Seth paused for a moment. "Dean. Roman. I need you to join me in the ring…. Please… Brothers…" He set the MITB briefcase at his feet.

The crowd cheered as Dean and Roman came down to the ring, each holding a mic. "If any of you think this means The Shield is reuniting, you're crazier than my lunatic brother," Seth said. But the tone when he said 'lunatic brother' was warm, almost affectionate. The way it had always been when he teased Dean. Dean's expression told Seth he'd caught the tone, even if no one else had. But the look in Roman's eyes told Seth he'd also heard that tone.

Considering how many times he'd used it to attack Dean, instead of picking up the MITB briefcase and handing it to Dean, he kicked it to him. Brown eyes locked with blue. He pointed to the TitonTron. It showed the moment from MITB when Dean clearly had the win, then Kane interfering. It cut before showing Seth getting the case. "It's yours. You won it that night. You know it. I know it. The WWE Universe knows it. And… You mean more to me than that contract."

"I thought I was some mad dog who you never gave a damn about. Who was never your friend. Who was never your brother," Dean replied. Those words had hurt worse than any Curb Stomp – even the one into cinder blocks.

"I was lying when I said those things. I can't undo what I did on RAW months ago. But I can try to make things right. Give back what I took," Seth added, glancing at the briefcase. He then looked at Roman. "I know you have no reason to let me try and make it up to you, brother. But I also know you will… because that's who you are."

Roman nodded.

Seth looked out at the crowd. "Evolution doesn't work in reverse. The Shield is gone. I'm still part of The Authority, unless they decide to kick me out for this." He was well aware that they probably would. "You're going to see me in the ring fighting Dean or Roman. It's nice to have an opponent who actually challenges me, and these two are about the only ones who really do. But you will never again hear me deny they are my brothers. You will never again hear me deny what they mean to me."

He turned his attention back to Dean and Roman. Dean still hadn't picked up the MITB briefcase. The peace offering. "I'm sorry," Seth said, genuine regret in his voice and eyes.

Dean leaned down and picked up the briefcase with his empty hand, accepting the peace offering. After sharing a look with Roman, he again locked eyes with Seth. "We're done here," he said softly, for only Roman and Seth to hear. He finally had his answer. He'd gotten his revenge. Maybe now he could get his brother back.

Understanding the reference, and the meaning, Seth smiled.

Dean spoke again, this time at normal volume and into the mic. "I've enjoyed fighting you since we were in the indies, our battles in developmental were great. Like you say, it's nice to have a challenge. Just make damn sure I'm fighting that Seth. The Seth I respected, whether I was fighting with him or against him. Not the Seth I've seen the last few months who runs away from a fight. That Seth disgusts me."

Seth nodded.

Roman took his turn to speak. "Brothers fight. I've got no problem with fighting you in the ring. Long as any fights stay in the ring – not our real lives."

Seth gave another nod.

"Same with you, Dean," Roman added, looking at his other brother.

"Sounds fun, Ro'," Dean replied with a grin. Sure, he and Roman had sparred countless times. But an all out match in the ring… Count Dean in for that.

Seth didn't join Roman and Dean as they climbed out of the ring. He wasn't ready to just assume he was automatically welcome back at his brothers' side so soon. At the bottom of the ramp they turned and looked back at him. "Waiting for an engraved invitation?" Dean asked. Seth was at their side in seconds.

'King if Kings' hit, and Hunter walked out. "You know, there's a match I've been wanting to see since you three showed up in the WWE. And given what you all just said, I think it's time. Fatal Three Way. Rollins vs. Reigns vs. Ambrose. Next Monday on RAW. Seth, my office… NOW!"

"Somebody's in trouble," Dean taunted in a sing song voice as they made their way backstage.

Seth rolled his eyes. "Knew I would be." He wasn't surprised when Roman and Dean leaned against the walls on either side of the door to Hunter's office as he followed Hunter inside – an unspoken promise that they were there if he needed them.

"_**Brothers forgive." ~ Beverly Crusher, Star Trek TNG**_


End file.
